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Plot:
Going into flashback, a US Senator tells the story of how years ago, as a young lawyer, he came to a small town in which a gang of outlaws terrorized and robbed him. He seeks revenge and finds it in t...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:September 26, 2008John Ford was one of the few directors who could deftly balance entertainment with more ambitious elements in the undercurrent. Because of that, his appeal to mainstream audiences was as wide as deep his reverence among aficionados. His films are among the favorites of many great directors, from Scorsese to Kurosawa.
Ford made great films throughout his long and illustrious career. One of those was The Man who Shot Liberty Valance. That film, like many of his others, is skewered with problems and elements of period melodrama acted sometimes by not so great actors. But nevertheless, those films, and this one, survive and thrive in spite of them.
James Stewart plays Rance Stoddard, a big wig senator, once a small time lawyer. His fame came as a result of his killing of a notorious outlaw, Liberty Valance. Rance tells his story to a group of reporters when he returns with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) to the small town where he found fame for the funeral of a man - Tom Doniphon. Lee Marvin plays Valance, who's gang holds up Rance's coach, then mercilessly beats him. He's found by Tom, a rugged wild man played with ferocity by John Wayne. He has a side kick, Pompey, a towering African American.
The two men get along, but there is conflict under the surface. At this stage in the game, Hallie appears to be in line for Tom, not Rance. Rance preaches the word of the law, while Tom insists the only way to survive in this essentially lawless land is through the word of the gun. He frequently stands up for Rance when Liberty rides into town, and though never outwardly stated, seems to emasculate Rance with his protection of him. In the mean time, Rance is persuaded to start teaching the townsfolk to read and write, and starts working for the local paper. He is a jack of all trades but the gun.
When the town decides to elect two delegates to head to the territorial capital city to press for statehood, Liberty tries to bully the people into elected him. Embarassingly, they elect Rance and the local newspaper editor, Dutton Peabody, as their representatives. Soon after, Liberty orders Rance to meet him in the streets, guns drawn, or leave town. They meet, Liberty toys with Rance, then on the final draw is inexplicably shot dead. Rance is celebrated for killing the outlaw, but all is not as it seems in the end.
The first two thirds of Liberty Valance play fairly standard. What keeps it really going is Stewart's fearless wimpishness, Wayne's commanding and quite enthralling screen presence, and Lee Marvin's eccentric and dandyish portrayal of Liberty Valance. His performance, I think, is one of the big highlights of the film. He has such a wildness about him that when he's intimidated by Tom, the scene jumps off the screen.
Ford's direction is characteristically meticulous and understated. The film's best scene comes after Valance has been shot, with Rance and the other townsfolk at the territorial meeting. It's one of the best examples of the 19th century political meeting and their elaborate goings on. Horses ride in as signs are raised and slogans shouted. Wayne makes his reappearance here, after a curious absence during the street gunfight. It's the scene that i remember most vividly from the film, and its crude elegance is enthralling to watch.
As noted, Ford's film's tend to suffer with age due to some period hamminess. His shifting of genre's sometimes can confuse modern audiences, and the melodrama is occasionally thick enough to choke a bull. John Qualen is there again doing his almost insultingly embarrassing Nordic impressions. His foolishness is often charming though. Some have also pointed out that both Stewart and Wayne were far too old to play their characters, but to their credit, they succeed anyway in their portrayals.
Nevertheless, The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, because of what it is, is a great film, in spite of what it is. It is a classic example of the Hollywood Golden Era, coming in its dying days. The final revelations of the film and the understated feeling of resentment Hallie seems to have for Rance in the present tense heighten the film. When asked who placed the cactus rose for Tom, Hallie responds, almost defiantly, I did. He was his friend, almost her lover. Their relationship exists only because Tom saved Rance - more than anyone else really ever knows. As the man says, when the legend becomes fact, print the legend. -
MCT:September 17, 2008
John Wayne, John Ford and the very versatile James Stewart combine to make a western classic.
I haven't seen many John Ford movies, although there are plenty i'm dying to see especially The Searchers. To get back to the point, i'm not sure if this is considered among his best ones but it isn't then i really need to watch his other movies pronto. -
MCT:September 13, 2008
Very magnificant screenplay and acting, james stewart and john wayne where really superb. great movie.
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MCT:August 20, 2008
This John Ford western begins with a senator (James Stewart) and his wife (Vera Miles) returning to a western town in an unnamed state to attend the funeral of a man (John Wayne). While visiting the body, Stewart tells the story of how they all knew each other and why this seemingly unimportant individual is the reason he became senator. The flashback takes up the majority of the film. In it, Stewart is driving through town in a flashback when a man named Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) robs his stagecoach. Stewart is a lawyer and wants to prosecute him but John Wayne explains to him that's not how things work in the film. The plot is pretty good, although I'm not sure the flashback was all that necessary. It didn't add all that much and the audience never does know how John Wayne died.
As mentioned a moment ago, this film stars James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, and Vera Miles. Of them, James Stewart is the only one whose character has much depth and he's the only one who really stands out in terms of acting. The other main characters are good, but nothing great. There were a lot of townspeople and I didn't really care for the way they acted. Many of them were supposed to be drunk half the time which was fine, but they weren't all that convincing and more irritating than anything.
Overall, this is a pretty good film but it's not up there with something like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It's the first John Wayne film I've seen, but it's usually regarded as one of his better ones so I'm sure this is a must-see for John Wayne fans. This is generally regarded as one of Stewart's better westerns, but again it's the first one I've seen. Fans of westerns will probably enjoy this, but I don't think it's good enough to where people who despise westerns will find much to enjoy in this film.
80/100
B-
UP NEXT: To Catch a Thief. -
MCT:August 20, 2008
A really good movie that actually had me not really minding John Wayne. Of course he's like an old reliable rock next to Jimmy Stewart's extremely likable performance. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance isn't a western so much as a movie that takes place in the Old West. Great performances all around, namely from Stewart and the straight-up rotten Lee Marvin. And that batshit crazy performance out of John Carradine towards the end was great, gross and scary all at the same time. The ending felt a little rushed and downbeat and that's where most of my minor disappointment comes in here. This movie's definitely worth the watch but at the same time not the best "western" I've ever seen.
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MCT:July 28, 2008Another masterpiece from John Ford starring Jimmy Stewart playing his usual common man transplanted into the rough and tumble world of the west. John Wayne plays his polar opposite, a gunslinging cowboy who knows how to use a gun. There are two people between them. One is the damsel in the tiny western town played by Vera Miles. The other is Liberty Valance, a sadistic gun for hire played by the great Lee Marvin.
This film is more about the taming of the west. When Stewart's character arrives it's a madhouse like all wild west towns are, but by the end of the film everything has become more civilized, even though the Easterner had to use means that he is against at the start of the picture.
Stewart and Wayne play their trademark roles in this film. This film is almost like looking at both icons in the stereotypes they have become in the mind of the general public. Vera Miles returns from Hitchcock land (ironically she was supposed to have starred with Stewart in Hitchcock's Vertigo) and gives a nice performance as the love interest of both men. It's Lee Marvin that brings pure evil to the screen as Liberty Valance. His performance ranks up there with some of the other classic western villains as he destroys everything in his path. He probably has the greatest gang backing him up as well, with Strother Martin playing a looney stooge while Lee Van Cleef shows us a glimpse of the quiet and dangerous force he would unleash when he went to Italy.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a classic western that ranks as one of John Ford's best. The use of black and white is almost a way for Ford to bring the film back to simpler times. Unlike other Ford epics, the backgrounds do not overshadow the actors in the foregrounds. A great western. -
MCT:July 18, 2008
A classic film by director John Ford, about the tale of who actually shot Liberty Valance, the villain portrayed by a gun-slinging, happy-go-lucky Lee Marvin.
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MCT:July 13, 2008
a solid, entertaining western with a historically political spin. Stewart seems a little out-of-place in the sense that Ford seemingly tried to cast Jefferson Smith 23 years after he was appropriate. Wayne, however, makes the story work with his portrayal of the iconoclastic tough who had the woman of his dreams stolen right out from under him. Marvin additionally contributes some of the western genre's best villainy. a great clash of characters, ideologies, and so-called truths. when legend becomes fact, print the legend....pilgrim.
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MCT:July 1, 2008
My favorite Western.
This isn't something I'm saying because "I grew up with the movie" or "it's timeless." I just watched this movie for the first time (thanks 501!) and I was blown away. I got this as a double feature with Shane at Walmart for $9.00. (Don't judge me on the Walmart shopping. It's crazy cheap and there are worse things on the planet.) But this is one of those movies that really deserves to be a classic and I'm glad it gets some recognition.
Let's go superficial before getting to bare bones. I love all of the actors here. I've never been a fan, but always liked John Wayne. He does Westerns and he does them well. He delivers what he needs to and that always satisfies me. One of my other favorite westerns is The Searchers and to get the main guy from The Searchers to do this movie is just a fantastic relief to me because he can hold the film. Also, with John Ford's message in this movie (I'll get more into that later), you really need an old war horse like Wayne in the lead. But the thing that I most appreciate about this movie is James Stewart. James Stewart has always been one of my favorite actors. I've seen a ton of his movies. (I think it is impossible to see all of his movies just because he's done so damned many). Having him as a foil to Wayne is just perfect. He's, in many ways, always Mr. Smith to me. He's almost always a character that stands for justice above all. Casting him in this part brought Mr. Smith to the old West and I really appreciate that. I'm not saying it's the same movie for me, but there are instant associations with that character for me so it made it easier to see this moral character stand for the greater good only to be broken and built up again.
The themes of this story are just perfect. This movie is described as the last classic western. Ford is an older man by this time and you can feel the swan song in this movie. He's always been this rough-and-tumble director. His films don't take any sh*t and neither did the man. But the West was a lawless place that eventually evolved into a civilized society. While it's great to hear the glory days war stories of the man with the gun, there was that period that evolved that anarchy into a real place. The best part of the entire situation was that it wasn't changed by one man who believed in absolutes. It came about by cooperation, perhaps unwillingly, by multiple people who disagreed about everything at their very core. It's about those people realizing that the world doesn't exist in black and white, but rather in shades of grey. Sometimes the law doesn't answer for all of the world's problems and sometimes politics can bring about a peaceful change. It's not one or the other, but rather going moment by moment and reevaluating yourself. That's what this movie is about.
I already talked about casting, but I have to talk about the titular character, who gets secondary billing. Well, technically he isn't the titular character, but he's referred to in the title. That's probably why he gets second billing. That's probably pretty accurate because while he is a strong presence as a supporting cast, that's exactly what he is: supporting cast. But Lee Marvin is a hell of an actor. He's one of my all time favorites and putting him as the antagonist against John Wayne and James Stewart is just a genius move. He's a powerhouse and a scary, tough individual. While Wayne may be an obilisk, Marvin is a runaway train, smashing everything in his way. What a performance. A little goofy on the outfit, but he's absolutely terrifying in this part.
Finally, I'd like to address one moment from the movie. I can imagine this working like gangbusters on the page, but having a little problem with the excution. (It actually looks pretty good for what it is.) James Stewart is beaten up and left for dead by Lee Marvin at the beginning of the film. He is carried inside by someone. Too bad James Stewart is a tall, lanky beast. This tiny man just had a piece of him and the rest of him spilled over. I commend that man for lifting him. -
MCT:June 1, 2008
One of only two John Wayne films I've seen, but he certainly was great in this as was the rest of the cast. Perhaps John Ford's best western.
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MCT:May 26, 2008
Widely considered John ford?s last great film, this tells the story of a lawyer who moves west and runs into an outlaw named Liberty Valence. The story is a fitting cap to Ford?s western filmography as it looks at the revisionism of the west more explicitly than anything he made before. The visuals aren?t bad, but the story is more interior in its nature so the film lacks a lot of the great vista shots Ford was famous for. John Wayne is basically doing his thing here about as well as he usually does, James Stewart fares a little worse as he tends to go over the top a lot here. Still this is a strong , if simple, story and I can?t say to much about the movie that delivered the famous line ?This is the west, when the truth becomes legend? print the legend.?
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MCT:May 21, 2008I was really hyped to see this movie, then I watched it and it didn't hold my interest that well...I may have been in a tired mood...I'll give it another go sometime soon.
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MCT:May 20, 2008
really great film that to me, never feels all that "western." i'm not a John Wayne fan, but i do thoroughly enjoy his performance in this one.
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MCT:May 10, 2008
"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
John Ford was one of the many luminaries of the western genre. With one of his final western films, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is truly one of the most elegant westerns in cinematic history. The two principal actors featured here are enough to guarantee unfathomable success.
Set in the Wild West, James Stewart plays a United States senator named Ransom Stoddard who travels to the town of Shinbone to pay respects to one of his old friends. Newspaper reporters begin speculating about the senator's business in such an insignificant western town. Ransom concedes to the press and decides to share his story. Subsequently the film is a series of extravagant flashbacks that shed light on Ransom's close friendship with a cowboy named Tom Doniphon (Wayne). His friendship begins after Ransom is beaten badly and robbed by a group of outlaws lead by the renowned Liberty Valance (Marvin). Vowing revenge, Ransom utilises his skills as a lawyer in an attempt to clean up the west without using violence. He teaches those in need how to read and write. His use of literature and words makes him a respected member of the community. However he realises that the west is not controlled by law and order but by murder and violence. Cowboys and gunslingers take the law into their own hands as they decide who lives and who dies. Ransom's story then uncovers how his political career became so successful after he became known as "the man who shot Liberty Valance".
A quality western is only guaranteed if there is a stellar plot. In this case, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance has what could be the best plot for a western I have ever seen. The 50s and 60s were certainly the decades dominated by loads of successful westerns. It's impossible to forget westerns helmed by Sergio Leone, or westerns that starred such stars as Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper or John Wayne. These three men were the essential embodiment of a western protagonist.
With this film, John Wayne plays a fairly original role. Wayne still has the baggy trousers, the trademark walk, the recognisable facial expressions and the fast gun-touting skills. Despite this pile of conventions his character is explored to be a man of more moral depth. His portrayal is engaging and engrossing. I found it easy to get into the movie due to his dynamic performance. Because John Wayne was so famous during the period of the film's release this is an offer too tempting to resist. On top of this we have a straight-forward, intriguing plot and one of the world's all-time greatest actors: James Stewart. When this film was made it was clear that Stewart was aging. This doesn't stop him from delivering one of his most memorable roles to date. He still has his charm and charisma now mixed with bravery and honour. It's very easy to empathise with his character.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance of course has the usual conventional bad guys: they are dirty, have bad teeth and look very unsavoury. Although a contemporary audience would usually find this far too stereotypical you must remember that this was made during the period of the westerns. It was tradition to have these characters included.
The film is topped off admirably with smart direction and an exciting score. John Ford will always deliver when it comes to the western genre. Each director made their own mark on the genre. Each director has a different way of staging the action, placing the camera and building up intensity. Ford is a natural when it comes to this style of movie.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was pasted and criticised upon original release. Decades later and the film is now considered as a classic and one of cinema's greatest westerns. It depends on your taste in film whether you will enjoy this one or not. Especially if you like westerns, this is a film you cannot afford to miss. -
MCT:March 28, 2008
John Ford's swan song to the west. Stewart and Wayne pair up wonderfully in this elegant and poignant tale of the end of an era. When the truth becomes the legend, print the legend. But Ford rarely denies us of the truth either.
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MCT:March 14, 2008
many didn't like jimmy stewart, said he was too old. i call all of them fucking morons... he's an amazing actor, and shows it in this. lee marvin is pretty amazing too.
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MCT:February 12, 2008
Aaaaah when John Waynes says to Lee Marvin "Liberty, it's my steake on the floor", you really feel like a shot of testosterone has been injected into the celluloid. Other than that, a very good western, full of men with problems in a town short of solutions.
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MCT:February 5, 2008
Stewart and Wayne are both excellent actors, Wayne being quite underrated. Wayne's big role was True Grit which got him an oscar, but for my money his performance in this film is his crowning achievement.
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MCT:January 17, 2008
Wayne
Marvin
Stewart
The guy who does the voice for Friar Tuck in Disney's Robin Hood
Purely cinematic Gold. So much more complex and engaging than I ever anticipated -
MCT:January 8, 2008
enator Ranse Stoddard returns to the city of Shinbone in the Wild West, to go to the funeral of his friend, Tom Doniphon. To a journalist, who's wondering what the senator is doing in Shinbone, he tells how his career started as "the man who shot Liberty Valance". As a lawyer he came to Shinbone to bring law and order to the west by means of law books. When the stagecoach is held up by outlaws, he is savagely beaten by Liberty Valance. He survives the attack and is nursed by his future wife, Hallie. Hallie is being wooed by a local rancher, Tom Doniphon. Ranse teaches the people of Shinbone to read and write, all the while trying to find a way of bringing Valance to justice. He finally takes up a gun and faces Valance in a menacing shootout.
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MCT:December 27, 2007
"Nothing's to good for the man who shot Liberty Valance." But do they know who really shot him? It may not be who it appears. John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Vera Miles all in one! A really great film.
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MCT:December 7, 2007
A fascinating and entertaining clash of the titans western. Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne each completely bring forth their unique personalitites through the characters they play, and it's a treat to watch these two greats interact. It's kind of like "American Gangster" in that it has two of the greatest actors to ever live in the same movie, except in this one, they actually have more than one scene together (burn on American Gangster). This is a classic Western (sadly the first John Ford/John Wayne western I've seen, but I promise I'll see more), and an all-around entertaining flick that says a whole lot about humanity, law, and how the Old West encompasses everything that is unique about America.
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MCT:December 3, 2007
great wayhe movie though james stewart was the main actor. Also one of the few movies wahne dies in. lee marvin plays the greatest villain always. I recommend to all put some good americican pride in ya and it shows it not always as it seems
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MCT:December 2, 2007
jimmy stewart just tops off the cake, that he is by far the best actor EVER. overal it was a nice story. i loved the intro and conclusion. especially the final scene. whoa. not a typical western, dont let john wayne fool you, he can be quite inrigueing. this one he played lovesick fool better than anyone. great classic. top 200 for sure.
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MCT:November 24, 2007
my favorite western! i never get tired of it. starring my most favorite actor and my least favorite lol plus the always awesome lee marvin and slim pickens! this is how a legend is born...
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